A Little Bit of Christmas Magic
by Dirty Chiban
Summary: Sasusaku Sakura's life is flipped upside down when, during the christmas season, she meets an old man, a mysterious nutcracker prince, and all of this is because of a little christmas magic...
1. Chapter 1

_A Little Bit of Christmas Magic_

Do you ever wonder if there are forces that are beyond your control? That maybe, if only you'd look a little but more closely, then maybe you would be able to catch that glimpse of mystical prowess that you had been searching for? If your immediate answer was along the lines of an absolute negative then you have something in common with Sakura Haruno.

Sakura was sinfully practical in every aspect of her very predictable life. There was no spark of adventure or hint of mystery. Her life was simply and very painfully…boring. It was a tragedy really. It had to be because no single person's life could so hideously average. However, no amount of arguing could change the fact of the matter. Every aspect of her life radiated her lack of pizzazz. From her shoulder length bone straight bubble gum hued hair, to her five foot three stature, to the plain neutral colored clothes that she wore this very moment.

Sakura believed in being practical. There was absolutely no time for such foolish things as frolicking in the fresh powdery white snow, or taking the time to sit in front of a cozy fireplace while watching the flames dance across the hickory wood that lay in the hearth. There was no point in wasting the precious moments of her pitiful existence by stopping to take a sip of the inviting hot chocolate that bid her to come and partake of its rich goodness. There was no time to waste in daydreaming about fantasies that would never come true. No, time was a precious commodity and she would never spend it on such whimsical and trivial pursuits.

She was a social worker after all. There were things to be done and people to be saved from the evil corporate America. She knew for a fact that a three hour's worth of stacked papers cluttered her desk and were demanding for attention. But sadly, she could not attend to them at the present moment in time.

Frustratingly, Sakura picked up the pace as she made her way through the streets of the small rural town where she lived. The sullied snow crunched under her boots seemingly understanding of her irritation as she aggressively pursued the path ahead of her. The pedestrians around her seemed to gravitate away from her and the dark feelings that she was emitting wondering what on earth a young twenty year old woman would have to worry about.

Yes, it was one of _those _towns. It was one of those classic small towns with the quaint shops and town square that were absolutely cute when decorated for the holidays. It was also notorious for the lack of population, therefore the constant need for gossip and other semi interesting news. In a couple of days, miraculously, the whole town would know exactly what was wrong with the infamously single bachelorette. Or the more probable option would be some other twisted tale of sorts. But now was not the time to think of those things, Sakura reminded herself. She had more pressing and yet annoying matters to attend to.

At this very moment, she was on her way to a toy shop by the name of Drosselmier's. _What a weird name isn't that like from a play or something?_ Sakura thought to herself. Personally, she was impressed. She had never heard of the store's name before, and that was saying something, since she was under the impression that she knew every town in Whisper Bend. Sakura shrugged it off and continued onward in her quest to find the store. She had been sent from her agency to deliver a form of some kind for him to sign. At first, she had protested and inquired as to why they couldn't just send it to his house. The odd response was that they had no kind of address and that if sent in the mail it somehow always failed to reach him. _Well that certainly is strange. I mean, what kind of guy is this. He's probably some kind of psychopath. Oh great, that mean's I'm going to see him…alone. Yeah, I'm dead. _She thought sarcastically to herself. In all reality, he was probably just some kind of perverted lonely old man who just wanted some attention. Sakura put her hand on her purse thinking of her fully loaded pepper spray. _Well he is very mistaken if he thinks for one moment that he is going to get that kind of attention. _

After another five minutes of trudging through the icy night air, Sakura stopped in front of her destination. Sakura raised an eyebrow at the odd sight in front of her. _Uncle Drosselmier's_ she mentally read while looking at the old wooden sign that hung against the display window. The whole shop gave off this eerie feeling when she gazed at it. The shop itself had to have been built at least in the eighteen hundreds. Still, the shop itself was in no disrepair. A strong mahogany door with a pleasant welcome sign beckoned the customer to come inside if only to seek shelter from the harsh winter outside. For some reason, Sakura felt a tugging at her heart to satiate this unknown desire and venture inside. That foreign feeling escalated her anxiety. Maybe, she could just say that she lost her way and couldn't find the shop. Yeah, that would work…Wait a minute! What in the world was going on here?! She was acting totally ridiculous and irrational. Nothing was going to happen. This was just an ordinary shop with just another typical shop owner. Why in the world _would _anything happen to her. _Nothing _out of the ordinary ever happened to her. So why should she worry?

Without further adieu, Sakura built up the confines of her scattered courage, took a deep soothing breath, and then proceeded to grasp the door's pewter handle. Once she cracked the door open, the warm soothing smell of some kind of baked cookie wafted into her nose. There were also the comforting dimmed lights that were being emanated from the inside of the store. Upon entering, Sakura felt her breath hitch in her throat. The toy store she had entered was something out of a dream. All of the toys that were showcased were made out of a variety of different kinds of wood. Each toy told of a craftsmanship that rivaled prodigious. The soft touches of paint and hand woven clothes accented the fact that this crafter took large amounts of time to accentuate the intricacies of each toy.

Overwhelmed with curiosity, Sakura roamed around the shop, her eyes glancing at the various dolls and toys that adorned the red velvet covered display tables. For some reason, these dolls attracted her attention. Why this was, she wasn't able to decide. But it felt like some uncontrollable force was driving her to search for something. What it was, she had no idea, but ever since she had opened that door, she had felt this soft yet insistent tugging at her heart that urged her to continue onward in this spontaneous quest. Slowly she made her way forward barely glancing at the toys at her side, somehow knowing that this was not the treasure that she had been seeking.

This continued until she reached the very back of the store. There, in the back of the store was what she was looking for. True she had not yet laid eyes on it, but that nagging voice at the back of her mind was almost screaming at her that this was it, her holy grail, the end of her search. Finally, she stopped in front of the table which held the object of her interest. It was funny really, how something so seemingly ordinary had been the sole reason behind the insistent tugging at her heart. But when she gazed upon it, it was all worth it. It was like love at first sight. But no, this wasn't love it was some strange kind of entrancement. Her eyes were fixed upon it, and she could not for the life of her tear her gaze away from it. But why, it was…it was just a toy.

To be more specific, it was a nutcracker. _It's just a nutcracker…_ For some reason, those words seemed like an underhanded insult that was given from someone of high standing to that that of some insignificant commoner. But this was no common man. He was…he was extravagant, intricate, and strangely enough, more mysterious than anyone she had ever met in her entire life. His eyes. Yes…his eyes, they…they seemed to exude the fact that he held a secret, a secret that would not be told even to the most trustworthy of stewards. No, this secret was meant only for one person.

Sakura tried to regain her wits. This was just a simple nutcracker. He was, no, _it_ was just a toy. _It _was not mysterious, and it certainly did not have secrets. It was just a nutcracker. But despite all of her mind's rationalizations, she simply could not deny the fact that those charcoal painted eyes did indeed hold some kind of an air of mystery about them. Everything about him radiated beauty and mystery. From the obsidian wisps of "hair" that adorned his head to those haunting charcoal eyes, to his perfectly rosy cheeks, to his ornate red prince's outfit, with all of its trimmings. He was nothing short of perfect. He was…

"Excuse me miss, is there something I can help you with?" The sound of a foreign male voice behind her startled Sakura so bad that she literally jumped, gasping in fright. Trying to compose herself, Sakura turned around with the most grace that she possessed. Sakura now looked upon an old man who was exactly her height. The first thing about him that she noticed was the fact that this elderly man had the most peculiar golden colored eyes. They were like molten amber, holding within them the same mysterious secret that the nutcracker had. What? Sakura couldn't help but want to look closer hoping to find the answers in his eyes which she so longed to find. But alas, reason's restraint held her at bay. Her long dormant imagination was getting its revenge on her for lack of use by making her look like a complete fool in front of this old man whom she had never met. Shaking her head, she took in his other features. He had short grey messy hair almost rivaling that of Einstein's. He also had the same type of goatee on his thin wrinkled face. He was a thin man over all. It was a wonder he did not require the use of a cane. The other odd thing about this man was the clothes he wore. They were in a style that clearly spoke of the eighteen hundreds even though they were that of a meager toy shop keeper.

Again, the sound of his voice startled her. To be more precise, it was that of his hoarse chuckle. Sakura blushed embarrassedly when she had figured out that he had caught her staring at him.

"Um, I'm terribly sorry. I just couldn't help but admire this nutcracker. Tell me, did you make this?" Sakura asked curiously. It would be an honor to meet someone who was capable of creating such a work of art. The old man's honey hued eyes held a glint of mischief before he gave a mock bow.

"Miss, you give me too much credit. I am but a simple toy maker, and teller of stories, that is all, if my name isn't Drosselmier after all." Sakura's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, Mr. Drosselmier, it's a pleasure to meet you." Drosselmier smiled in return.

"So what is it that I can interest you with today? The nutcracker perhaps? You seemed to be quite taken with it." Drosselmier said watching as Sakura instantly glanced back to the nutcracker, a fond look etching itself across her features. Before falling under its enchantment once more, Sakura looked away. Smiling she shook her head.

"Oh no…it's just…there's something about his eyes that I just can't seem to place. It's like… it's like he has some kind of secret that he's holding. I just…wish I knew what it was." Sakura blushed violently when she realized all that she had said.

"Oh please forget what I just said. I must seem terribly silly to you." The mischievous look in Drosselmier's eyes grew ten fold, his eyes sparking with an intense fire.

"Oh no, it rare when one can see beyond the basic appearance of this nutcracker. In truth, I did not create this nutcracker. I had simply…come across it…a long long time ago. Once in my possession, I could never bring myself to part with it. Tell me, do you know the legend of the nutcracker?" Drosselmier inquired, his voice almost lowering to a whisper. Sakura almost laughed.

"You mean like, the play or whatever it is?" Drosselmier almost looked insulted at her response.

"No, that rubbish is only a knock off of something that is not even the legend itself." Sakura's eyes widened. This was getting good. Her whole task for the agency was long forgotten.

"You mean, there's a different one?" Drosselmier smirked.

"Of course my dear, now tell me, would you like to hear it?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Part two_

_Once upon a time in a far away kingdom lived the most exquisite princess that perhaps the world has ever seen. Her long waves of golden tresses matched her sun kissed tan skin. To match she had the most enticing emerald green eyes. Everything about her radiated the fact that she was an ethereal beauty. The only thing in the entire kingdom that surpassed her angelic beauty was that of the all encompassing inner vision of her character. She was kind to all whom she came in contact with. She was honest and true, for all of her good graces her subjects adored her. They would do anything for her. However, not all felt this way. An evil witch held the utmost contempt for the young royal. All of this hatred stemmed from the deep seed of envy and jealousy that the witch held for the princess._

_So one night, the witch snuck into the castle undetected under the protection of the dark night. Once inside, the witch silently made her way to the princess's chambers. Not a sound was heard as the witch crept into the princess's bedroom. Without a second thought and a malicious grin on her face, the witch cast a terrible curse upon the princess. Grinning with the satisfaction at the product of her sinister work, the witch slipped out of the room. _

"_Now, no one will love you…" the witch hissed._

_The next morning, the cruel effects of the curse were discovered. The princess was hideous. Warts and boils covered the girl's body and face, along with the most putrid of scents making it almost impossible not to wretch. The king and queen as well as the entire kingdom were devastated. Their beloved princess was ruined. Immediately, a search went out in order to find the vile creature that would dare pull such a stunt. It was a short while until the witch was captured. Upon her arrest, she was instantly brought in for questioning. Unless she gave some kind of an antidote, the witch would be sentenced to death. Being the selfish wench that she was, she gave a cryptic reply while revealing from her sleeve what looked like an ordinary walnut. _

"_The only way that the princess will be cured is if she eats of the softer nut that resides within the outer nut's shell. The outer shell of this enchanted nut can only be cracked by that of the jaw of her one true love." Without another word, the witch was thrown into the darkest and deepest dungeon. _

_Soon, a proclamation rang out through the kingdom calling for every eligible prince to venture to their kingdom in hopes to undue this wicked curse. Without fail, royals from miles around came in hopes of being the lucky one to undo the unfortunate enchantment and woo the princess's heart. _

_But alas, time after time, it all ended in the same result. After wincing from the outward appearance of the princess, the shallow prince would then haughtily take the enchanted nut boasting of how it would be he to break the terribly misfortune. Placing the nut in his mouth, the prince bit down. The agony which the prince felt when the teeth involved were shattered cannot be described. Countless times the king queen and princess watched this horrible scene. The only aspect that varied though out this whole ordeal was the reactions of the princes. They would either have to be carried out of the throne room due to the amount of pain they were in or they would try to the best of their ability to curse the poor princess and her family out, thus resulting in the fact that they would thereby be "escorted" out. _

_As the days passed, so did the hope of the royal family dwindle. It seemed that all faith for a cure was misplaced. So it was a complete and utter surprise, when one dark and stormy night, there happened to be visitors calling for the audience of the king and his family. The royal family entered the throne room to find two hooded figures standing in their midst, one towering over the other in means of stature. _

_"What is your business here at so late an hour? Can't you see that everyone else is trying to get some rest?" the king inquired wearily. It had been a long day and there was still no success in the case of his beloved daughter. The only thing he wanted to be doing was drowning away his sorrows in the warm embrace of his dreams. _

_The shorter of the two hooded figures stepped forward, lifting his hood from his head, so that an elderly man was revealed. _

_"Please forgive my lord for the intrusion, but my lord and I have traveled from a far away land to see your daughter. We have traveled without ceasing, with the exception of this very moment. Please your highness, my price wishes to see if he can break the spell. He has heard of your daughter's unfailing kindness and he wishes to break this curse," the old advisor pleaded bowing before the king. The other taller figure, who was now known to be the prince stepped forward pulling back his hood to reveal the most handsome young man the princess had ever seen. _

_Immediately, the princess turned away in her throne. She did not want someone as beautiful as him to have to behold her repulsive appearance, or smell her utterly putrid scent. However, the prince locked his eyes upon her, not flinching in the slightest. _

_"Your majesty, please allow me the honor of trying to undo this wretched thing that has befallen your daughter. It would be my greatest honor if only to try." The king nodded._

_"Alright, but I must warn you that many others have come before you and have failed. A painful fate awaits you if you should follow in their steps." The king warned. The prince nodded in understanding. Instantly, the princess looked at him with the utmost concern. This one was kind. She did not want him to have to endure any kind of ill will because of her. _

_"Please, you do not have to do this. I could not bear it if you were harmed," the princess pleaded. The prince smiled reassuringly. _

_"Do not worry princess. This is what I want. Although, it gives me joy to hear your concern. However, it would give me the greatest joy if I could do this one small service for you." The haggard princess blushed despite her and watched as the enchanted nut was brought out before them. All held their breath as the prince picked the nut up off of its designated pillow. All eyes were fixed upon him. Slowly, the prince took a deep breath and placed the enchanted nut in his mouth. Out of habit, the king queen and princess shut their eyes tightly expecting to hear the pitiful screams of the prince before them. But as moments passed, nothing was heard except for the slight sound of something being crunched. Cautiously, the king, queen, princess, and even advisor opened their eyes to see that the prince was not writhing in pain, but was smiling holding the cracked nut n his hand, revealing the softer nut which was inside. _

_Everyone's faces lit, and cheers erupted from the king to even the guards. The nut had been cracked. This was indeed the prince that they had been waiting for. Tears of elated joy ran down both the queen and princess's face. _

_Slowly but ever surely, the prince mad his way toward the princess. Smiling, he knelt before her holding the softer nut out to her. _

_"I believe… that this belongs to you…" The prince whispered compassionately. Beaming, the princess gently took the nut from the kind prince and placed it into her mouth without ever losing eye contact with him. Yes, this was the prince that she wanted. Suddenly, as she ate the nut a blinding light erupted from all around her. It was so bright that everyone shrank back trying to cover their eyes. When the miraculous light subsided, the princess was revealed. Everyone who could see her gasped in awe. The princess was breath taking. All of her former beauty had returned to her, and then some she had not possessed. Shyly, she caught the prince's gaze. _

_It was love at first sight. There was no one else in the room. All the couple could see was each other. _

_"Thank you," the princess whispered. The prince merely smiled as he placed a chaste kiss on her palm. _

_"I'd do anything for you my princess," he whispered lovingly. Cheers erupted from all of the observers in the room. It wasn't long at all before news of the up coming wedding spread throughout the whole kingdom like wildfire. Such contagious news spread even into the bowels of the darkest of dungeons, and even farther into the hell hole in which the wicked witch now resided. _

_Upon hearing the wondrous news, the witch became enraged. She never actually thought that the princess would ever find her true love. It was a one in a million chance and to a prince no less! This situation had to be rectified immediately. That princess would suffer if it was the last thing she did. With a blast of her unnatural powers, the feeble iron bars that were holding her captive were blown to ashes. Furious, she stormed up to the throne room, a merciless fate coming to anyone who unknowingly crossed her in passing. _

_At that moment in time, the prince and princess were talking in a light hearted conversation about the brightness of their future together. The irony of their naivety was almost overwhelming. They were completely unaware of the certain doom that awaited them. _

_"So, I see that my little spell has been broken. What a shame, now that your envious beauty has returned to you. That perfection that you possess is almost inhuman. Like…like that of a young girl's doll." The witch's eyes lit with a malicious gleam as a sadistic grin played across her face. Immediately, the prince stood guard in front of his princess his sword drawn in defense. So this was the witch that had cursed his beloved. This time she would answer her crimes to his sword. The witch laughed at the sight of the prince and his weapon. _

_"How sweet, the little prince thinks that he can protect his princess. Ha! You can not keep her from me you stupid royal! Beautiful like a doll you are indeed, so a doll it is you will be!" The witched screamed in her insanity as dark bolts of energy shot from her passed directly past the prince and impacted the poor princess. Within seconds the princess was instantly transformed into precisely that of a small child's doll. The prince spun around in horror. He picked up the doll carefully and held it against his chest, his eyes belying the hysteria he felt. _

_"What have you done you evil wench! Turn her back this instant!" The prince screamed. The witch sneered and narrowed her gaze at him. _

_"And you, you must be the prince that broke my spell. What a kind heart you must have. I wonder what would happen if I were to take that away from you? Surely, you would act just like you dead princess. That does sound appealing. I seem to rather like the idea of a cold emotionless prince. It's so unbearably tragic. But, what could you possibly reign over in such a state." The witch actually looked thoughtful while the prince faced her defiantly. Her disgusting features lit as an idea popped into her mind. _

_"I know…you will be the prince of the toys, until that miserable heart of yours is returned. You cracked a nut to save your pitiful excuse for a princess, and you will do so for eternity until your heart beats with love for someone else. Fare well, nutcracker…" she whispered as more dark lightning shot forth and struck the poor prince. He writhed in agony as a shining pink orb of light came forth from his chest. In the process, the glass doll which was once the princess dropped from his careful arms, and fell to the floor shattering into a thousand pieces. Like the princess before him, he was transformed into that of a humble nutcracker. Because he was made of wood, the nutcracker prince survived the fall making a pathetic thud as it landed on the cold floor. _

_The witch cackled in delight. Her work was done. _

"_Now, no one can oppose me now! I will be queen and rule over this kingdom with an iron fist." A figure emerged from out of the shadows._

"_The only queen you will be is the queen of the rats," the male voice commanded as golden energies encircled her transforming her into the hideous small beast. Once completed, the rat scurried away. Out from the shadows stepped the old advisor of the prince. As well as being the prince's advisor, the old man served as his kingdom's sorcerer. _

_Slowly, he approached the nutcracker, grieving over the gruesome death of the kind princess and the terrible curse that was placed on his prince. With his own magic, he was able to ease the curse, but was unable to break it. _

"_I am, so sorry my prince. I could not protect you," he whispered as he picked up the nutcracker. _

_Over the centuries, the sorcerer waited, searching for the true love of the prince. With his magic, he was able to create a small world for the prince to live in for the time being. However, it was not enough, and as the magic of the magician decreased so did the number of nights that the prince was able to come alive…_

"So, what did you think?" Drosselmier inquired hesitantly. Sakura took one look at the nutcracker on the table and had to restrain herself from crying out.

"That was the most horrible thing I have ever heard! The princess died! How could the witch be so cruel and…and…the prince… He…he lost the love of his life. He lost everything and he was cursed…" Tears threatened to spill from Sakura's shining eyes. The tale rivaled the tragic lovers like_ Romeo and Juliet_. It made her wonder why the tale was even told.

Seeing how the tale had made her so overwhelmed, Drosselmier took pity on the emotionally drained young woman, and wiped away the tears that couldn't seem to defy gravity.

"There there, it's alright." Drosselmier soothed. Taking a step back from him and mentally berating herself for becoming so stressed over a stupid fairytale, Sakura hastily wiped away the remainder of her tears. She forced a smile.

"I'm sorry for being so emotional. It's just I sometimes forget that all stories don't have a happy ending. This just happens to be one of them, and…I'm sorry for yelling at you like that," her voiced trailed off. Drosselmier gave a compassionate smile.

"No, don't apologize to me child that just tells me your heart is soft. One should never apologize for such a special gift. And about the story, I see it more as…unfinished. Someday, the prince will regain his heart, don't you worry."

There was a gleam in Drosselmier's eye that seemed to promise this ludicrous result. When her eyes questioned him, he simply shrugged and pulled something out of his coat pocket.

Sakura gasped. It was a beautiful golden locket in the shape of a heart. With deft hands, Drosselmier placed the locket around Sakura's stunned form.

"There you go my dear. I believe that should make up for the turmoil your poor heart has gone through this night." Sakura backed away from him trying to take the necklace off shaking her head violently.

"Oh no Mr. Drosselmier, I could never accept something so extravagant!" Sakura protested. But Drosslemier stilled her hands, and gave her a reassuring grin, the amber in his eyes almost hypnotizing her.

"I must insist that you keep this. I believe that this should belong to you. I know it will be kept safe that way." For the weirdest reason, Sakura would've sworn that he was talking about something else entirely. Before she could utter another word, Drosselmier was leading her towards the door.

"Now my dear, if there if anything else, here is my address. I believe it is time that I should be closing up." Sakura nodded and walked to the shop's mahogany door, stopping as she turned the handle. She glanced over at Drosselmier with a longing gaze.

"I'm really sorry about the nutcracker. I just…wish…that there was something that I could do to help. Goodnight Drosselmier." She ended stepping out into the frigid cold before shutting the door gently behind her. Drosselmier smirked as he glanced back at his precious nutcracker.

"Yes, my dear, I believe indeed you will…"


	3. Chapter 3

_Part Three_

_Please Review!_

That night, Sakura returned to her less than humble apartment, her mind unable to free the burden of thoughts known as the nutcracker. These thoughts took supreme command and everything else was shoved into the recesses of her mind. Sakura moved with the speed of a zombie through her dark apartment. In her daze, she had forgotten to turn on the lights. Instead she made a bee line straight for the answering machine. She had been out late tonight after all. It was already ten thirty. Wearily, she pushed the little red "play" button. Her eyes immediately widened at its contents, her heart beginning to race at an alarming rate.

beep _Hey Sakura, it's Steve. Was just wondering how the whole thing with Drosselmier went. I still think you got screwed with having to do that whole delivery on Christmas Eve what with the boss having to an get answer from Drosselmier right away…_

Sakura didn't even bother to listen to the rest of the message as she bolted at break neck velocity out of her apartment. She barely even grabbed her coat and scarf in her mad dash. The door to the apartment shook with echoing force as it slammed wreaking havoc on the ancient hinges.

_Crap! Crap! Crap! Freaking mega crap! How in the freaking heck did I manage to freaking not give him the form. Crap, I am the biggest freaking idiotic moron in the whole freaking world! Crap! _This incoherent ranting was repeated over and over with no vocabulary change for the next twenty minutes. Sakura was mentally kicking herself. She had gotten so caught up with that stupid nutcracker that she had forgotten the main reason why she was even in the store in the first place. Sakura sprinted through the town, her lungs burning from the frigid cold air. Still, she pushed herself harder. It was her own fault that she was stuck in this mess and she was the only one could bail herself out. It was amazing the clarity in which she remembered the way to Drosselmier's shop. It was also easier because at such a late hour no one was out on the streets. _Ok, maybe just the people that I don't want to meet are still here._ This thought was cause for another round of mental chastisement. Because of her stupid daydreaming, she was putting herself in unnecessary danger. That was not something she tolerated.

With a speed that she never knew she had, Sakura raced through the dark empty streets of Whisper Bend. Finally, she reached her destination. But to her absolute horror and confirmation a small sign taunted her mercilessly. "_Closed"_ the little sign conveniently made out of wood mocked. _Somehow, I just knew this was bound to happen. Now what am I going to do? _The shop was closed and she had to get that form to him, no matter what it took. Her butt would be put on an archaic roasting skewer if it wasn't compliments of her boss. Sakura's mind raced, trying to block out the screaming voice of panic. No! She had to stay calm. Crying like a toddler would get her absolutely no where. _Think Sakura, think!_ She chanted the mantra over and over. Ok, so the shop was closed. Yes, that was very bad, but it was not automatic game over. She just had to be a little innovative is all. _Ok, I don't have any kind of ways to get in contact with him…wait! _

In a maniacal rush, Sakura dug through her coat pocket for the only form of salvation that she knew of. Sakura felt like an incredibly obese woman had just dived off of her shoulders like a diving board. There in her freezing palm was the crumpled piece of glory known as Drosselmier's address. Scanning the brief information, Sakura nodded and began her maddening sprint once more. Never in her life had she seen this address before. But for some reason, she felt that same foreign, yet familiar tugging pull at her heart strings once more. In this case, she could only pray fervently that her instincts were leading her on the correct path. Buildings whizzed by, as she ran through the abandoned town. The only other thought that barely even crossed the recesses of her mind was the prayer that she wouldn't fall in her boots. A sprained ankle was an unnecessary stressor that did not need to be added to her list of things gone wrong that day.

As time wore on, Sakura became gradually numb to the weather around her. Her mind was only set on the quest of success and to let her thoughts wander to any other needless care would be failure. She would not fail. She couldn't. The more she ran, the more she recognized where the tugging was coming from. Oddly enough, she felt the pulsing emanate from the locket that she now wore around her neck. She did not question it. She simply followed. So far, being practical had just landed her in a world of trouble. Maybe, for one night she would relent and let something other than common sense guide her. There really wasn't much left to lose anyway.

After another strenuous ten minutes, Sakura found herself just on the outskirts of the town standing on top of a snow covered hill staring at a huge eighteenth century mansion.

It was the eeriest feeling that Sakura had felt thus far. _When did that get there?_ Sakura thought in mild panic. Now she knew something was up. The toy shop, sure it could have been an oversight on her part. But this, that mansion had never been there before tonight and she was sure of it. Did that mean that it was haunted? Was Drosselmier actually some kind of ghost? No, that couldn't be. Ghost and all sorts of magical entities did not exist. So why was it that she was fairly trembling by now? The cold. That was it. She was just cold. There was nothing to worry about. All she had to do was drop off the form. That wasn't so scary. Once she was done, she wouldn't have to mess with anything like this again.

With that in mind, Sakura trudged uphill until she reached the two giant mahogany doors that were the official entrance to the seemingly enchanted mansion. Sakura's heart was racing. Despite the cold, Sakura's palms were sweating profusely. Her courage was dwindling fast, so she had better hurry up and complete this anxious task. With a deep breath, Sakura rapped with the golden door knocker three times. She could only hope that somehow Drosselmier was still awake. Looking down at her watch, she saw that there were only a few minutes until midnight.

Sakura stood at that doorstep until she couldn't stand the level of anxiety any longer. _That's it! I can't do this anymore! He's probably not even awake anymore. Forget this, I'll deal with the consequences, but this…this is just too weird. _ Sakura turned to leave, ready to mentally erase all of the night's contents from her memory.

"Where are you going my dear?" The familiar hoarse voice sent cold chills done Sakura's spine. She was trapped now. With the grace of a rusted machine, Sakura turned around to face the old man. When she did, she was surprised to see that he had not changed clothes and was now gazing at her like one does when a host is expecting his guest. This made Sakura feel even more uneasy. How could he possibly know that he was going to see her again this night? He couldn't! There was no humanly way possible! Drosselmier's eyes fairly glowed in the moonlight with the secret knowledge that she wasn't privy to. Unconsciously, she took a step backwards.

"Oh um, Mr. Drosselmier! Um, I'm really sorry to disturb you so late at night, and all, it's just I forgot to do something really important and hey? Wait, where are you going?" Sakura called when Drosselmier abruptly left and went back inside the house. _What the heck is he doing?_ Sakura thought in perplexed irritation. She did not come all this way to be ignored. Interestingly enough, Drosselmier had left the front door open, so she took the initiative and followed him in.

Sakura was instantly filled with a sense of awe as she progressed through the house. Polished wood floors, intricate chandeliers, and expensive furnishings all made up the extravagancy of this home.

"Come in my dear, come in," Drosselmier called from deeper within the house. Cautiously, Sakura walked through the large foyer area, through some large wooden doors and found herself in the most enchanting living room she had ever seen. The room itself was so large that it could have been mistaken for a ballroom. The furniture in the room proved otherwise. Still, the most fascinating as well as intriguing aspect was all of the intricate Christmas designs. A giant Christmas tree adorned the far wall with its spectacular trimmings. Holly, and other festive decorations filled the room, and Sakura couldn't help but feel like she was in some kind of dream.

"So my dear, what is it that brings you here at such a bewitching hour." Sakura jumped as the old man's voice invaded her thought process. Sakura looked around, and for a few moments, she cold not spot the toy maker anywhere. But then, she saw the mischievous golden orbs shine through the shadows. It was creepy to say the least. Sakura gulped.

"Um, well you see, I work for this agency, and they have this form that…" Sakura was quickly interrupted as Drosselmier advanced on her.

"My dear, I assume you are familiar with the so called copy of the tale of the nutcracker?" It was somehow amazing that the old man had gotten her to turn and now she was backing farther and farther into the room. She nodded nervously. Crap, what had she gotten herself into. Everything was getting a little too scary. Drosselmier's crooked smile gave her no comfort.

"Good. By any chance, do you know how they came up with such a tale?" His eyes were almost accusing and Sakura found she couldn't lock gazes with him.

"Um, no sir." All of her courage had melted, and now she felt like a trapped animal before its predator. Drosselmier suddenly stopped and actually looked thoughtful for a moment, like he was relapsing into some kind of distant memory.

"You see, it actually originated from the true legend of the nutcracker. It had been centuries since the prince had been cursed. The magician and his nutcracker prince were still waiting for the right girl to come along. The problem was, the sorcerer was getting very old and his magic was diminishing. Then, one night in the eighteen hundreds, the magician was sure that he had found the prince's true love. That night, when the clock struck midnight, the magician allowed the prince to come alive. It was a good thing because the sorcerer did not have a lot of magic in stock. The girl was given the means to restore the prince's heart." Drosselmier's facial expression turned bitter.

"But…it was all in vain, for she did not love the prince and all was lost. The prince was forced to return to his enchanted sleep, whereas the girl woke to tell of her fanciful journey." Drosselmier looked like he wanted to spit in disgust. Sakura listened with baited interest.

"Then something strange happened. Every time from that day forward when the magician brought a girl to the prince, she would return to the eighteenth century girl's time. It would appear that the magician's magic had run out." Sakura scrutinized him with narrowed eyes. There was one particular issue that had been nagging at the back of her mind for some time now.

"And how is it exactly, that you know all of this Mr. Drosselmier?" Sakura questioned with a new found boldness. Suddenly, she noticed that in the corner of the room, a large grandfather clock had just begun to strike twelve and was now echoing its melancholy chimes. A large grin splayed across Drosselmier's features. His eyes danced with mischief as he advanced toward her once more.

"There is a simple answer to that question my dear. The reason I know so much about the nutcracker prince and the magician is only because _I _am the advisor from the legend my dear. Sakura felt her jaw drop open in shock and fear. With each step more hurried than the last Sakura backed away until her back brushed against the branches of the Christmas tree.

"No…there's no way that can be true! That would have to mean that…"

"That I am hundreds of years old. Well yes eight hundred to be exact," he chuckled lowly. Sakura wanted to run but she couldn't she was trapped and all alone with this crazy psycho. This was it. She was going to die. Tears rolled down her cheeks in tiny rivers.

"Please…please, don't hurt me. I beg of you. I don't want to die," Sakura pleaded. Why couldn't she have listened to her common sense? Her dreaming had lead her to death's doorstep and now she was going to pay the price with her life.

Meanwhile, Drosselmier looked clearly amused.

"My child, I'm not going to kill you. I am not a man to do such things. Besides, the magic of Christmas has just begun." The last thing Sakura could remember before she mysteriously blacked out was the eerie glow that emanated from the old man like a lighthouse….


	4. Chapter 4

_Part four_

After an unidentifiable amount of time had passed, Sakura woke from her unnatural sleep. She felt drained and weak. That was why it was good when she felt something soft underneath her. _Mmmm, it's so comfy…_ Sakura mused dazedly. Then, like an oncoming tidal wave, her memory came rushing back to her. Sakura sat upright quickly taking in the environment around her.

She was in a bedroom, on a large king sized canopy bed. Sakura panicked. What in the heck was she doing on some bed in this weird old guy's house? Was he planning to do something to her? Right now, Sakura was so petrified that she couldn't even speak. But she chalked that up to be a good thing. Maybe, if she was quiet, then she could escape this place without him knowing.

That was when she noticed it. She was wearing different clothes! Instead of her plain turtle neck skirt and boots, she was now wearing a pale pink Victorian style ballroom gown complete with gloves and slippers. She also realized that her hair had been done as well. Instead of the plain boring straight hair that she always showcased. Her hair was done in a half up half down hair do, done in the most beautiful of curls. Her makeup was also done. What in the crap was going on! Why was she dressed like this? Wait, did that mean that he undressed her? Sakura shivered. What kind of madman was this?

For fear of hyperventilation, Sakura tried to calm her breathing as well as study the bedroom in which she now presided. Dark polished wooden furniture decorated the room. Tall lit candles were located on each dresser. _Strange, there doesn't seem to be any kind of electrical appliances…_Sakura pondered when she couldn't seem to locate anything modern in the entire room. _This guy really is strange._ She still did not remember Drosselmier's parting words.

So with a quiet step, she crawled off of the large bed and tiptoed towards the door. So far, there had been no signs of Drosselmier. This could be easier than she originally thought. Upon reaching it, Sakura tried the door handle, and to her utmost surprise and delight, she found that it was not locked. She was just happy at this moment that her captor was not as skilled with his kidnapping as he was with his crafting. Ever so softly, Sakura turned the golden handle and slipped out into what was a vast and long hallway. All along the walls candles lit the way. The wooden floor was covered with a plush red carpet. _Well, the house is really nice. _ Sakura quickly cleared her mind of such useless knowledge. She was on a mission, and she could not afford errors.

But now, something else was catching her interest. Faded music could be heard off in the distance. As she made her way down the hallway, the sound of quick tempo classical music became increasingly louder. Not only that, she could hear the foreign voices of many people coming from downstairs as well. _What the heck, it sounds like a party's going on down there? _Now she was intrigued. Ok, so maybe he didn't kidnap her, but why on earth was he holding a party so late? All of the town's people she knew were long since asleep and it sounded like the whole town was downstairs. Curious, she walked on until she reached the large double staircase that led down into the foyer area which she had entered into what was earlier this night. But what she saw now made her gasp in awe. People in their finest apparel were entering the house and conversing while they made their way to the ballroom. All of these people were dressed in the olden style of dress which she was sporting this very moment. _What is going on here?_

Suddenly, Sakura's fear had dissipated, and now she longed to find the answer to this ongoing mystery. Then it hit her. Drosselmier's last words before she had lost consciousness.

_Then, one night in the eighteen hundreds, the magician was sure that he had found the prince's true love. That night, when the clock struck midnight, the magician allowed the prince to come alive. It was a good thing because the sorcerer did not have a lot of magic in stock. The girl was given the means to restore the prince's heart." Drosselmier's facial expression turned bitter. _

"_But…it was all in vain, for she did not love the prince and all was lost. The prince was forced to return to his enchanted sleep, whereas the girl woke to tell of her fanciful journey." Drosselmier looked like he wanted to spit in disgust. Sakura listened with baited interest. _

"_Then something strange happened. Every time from that day forward that the magician brought a girl to the prince, she would return to the eighteenth century girl's time. It would appear that the magician's magic had run out."_

Sakura raised a hand to her mouth in shock. No…it couldn't be. There was simply no way. But yet, Sakura couldn't help but believe that somehow she was now trapped in this nightmare. How was she supposed to get out of this? Drosselmier had never said what had happened to the girls who had not loved the prince after that fateful night. What became of them? She had to know the answers and right now there was no one who could answer them.

Still, there had to be some way out of here, and she was determined to find it. With a deep breath, she descended the stairs and fell in line with the other people around her. Many of those same people were a lot taller than her and so she could not yet see into the ballroom. But slowly, the couples dispersed and she was left to gawk at the splendor of the room. Couples were dancing merrily to the music while others were conversing along the walls.

Strangely, she felt a lonely ache. Yet, again, even in an alternate world, she was alone. Everybody always had somebody and she was always the one that had to sit back and watch as every other lucky girl got to dance with her own personal prince charming. Where was _hers?_ Was she truly doomed to be the old lady with a million cats? She didn't know if she could handle that cruel fate. She just wanted someone. She wanted her own prince. Where was her happily ever after? Sakura sighed. This was the reason she didn't dwell on fantasies. They were simply that: fantasies. They were not something that were concrete. They could possibly never even come true. Sakura couldn't give her heart to such uncertainties. That was precisely the point in her being practical. As long as she stayed realistic and logical then her heart would never be shattered. She just didn't realize that her heart had frozen over in the process.

Her thoughts were abruptly halted at the sight of a tall man standing directly in front of her, ogling her, and undressing her with his eyes. For some reason, Sakura was struck dumb with the fact that this man looked and acted remarkably like Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. Sakura's eye twitched in irritation. Disney character look alike or not, he was still going to get a force filled knee to the nether regions if his gaze stayed plastered to her chest. When she thought about having a prince charming, this was certainly _not_ what she had in mind. For crying out loud was this the best that she was going to get?!

"Ahem" Sakura cleared her throat in attempts to catch the swine of a man's preoccupied attention while she covered her chest by crossing her arms. She got the desired results when his eyes lazily roamed and lifted to lock gazes with her own fiery one.

"Why Clara, aren't you looking simply ravishing tonight." Sakura inwardly fumed. _No apology! What a freaking creep! He actually thinks he can get away with that crap!_ However, her mind managed to rewind back to his previous words. _Clara? Oh, that's right… Drosselmier said something about all of the girls going back to the eighteenth century time. Everyone must think I'm this Clara girl…_

That whole time Sakura had managed to tune out the unknown pervert. Well, that is, until he grabbed her arm and began pulling her out to the middle of the dance floor. Sakura tried her best to stop him by digging her heels into the floor, but it was no use, this man was freakishly strong and incredibly determined. This synthesis reaction resulted in embarrassing trouble for Sakura.

"Uh no…you see I don't dance…as in like I really can't," Sakura pleaded trying to undo the vice like grip he had on her wrist. The still nameless man scoffed and shook his head.

"Pffft, oh come on Clara, I've seen you dance countless times, you're a natural, besides, you're with me the great Lawrence. There's no way you could look bad when you're by my side." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, you say 'oh great Lawrence'." This guy was just as arrogant and self centered as Gaston. She could only pray that her horrendous dancing skills would come in handy to scare this jerk off.

Lawrence made absolutely sure that they were in the very center of the room so that everyone else could gaze upon him and his choice in partner before he possessively wound his arms tightly about her. With no warning whatsoever, Lawrence began the brisk waltz, unmerciful to Sakura's insignificant feelings.

It was all Sakura could manage just to keep her eyes glued to the floor so that she could barely keep up with the steps without stepping on his large feet. It was tempting however; she had to admit if she could just stomp once "accidentally" as hard as she physically could just to vindicate herself against such an unashamed pervert. Yes, she could just step down right on that pinky toe of his. Ooh she would love to see the reaction out of the "Great Lawrence" then. As the seconds wore on, the option became increasingly enticing. In order to carry out this malicious plot she would have to gain eye contact with him so that he wouldn't suspect a thing.

When she was sure of the upcoming steps, Sakura lifted her gaze to find that Lawrence wasn't even paying attention to her. The nerve!

"Yes, poor Jonathan never could get a girl to take a liking to him. He's just unskilled when it comes to women. I've tried to teach him a couple of things but the poor lad always finds a way to foil my excellent advice. It's sad really."

Sakura narrowed and turned her gaze away from the arrogant and obviously conceited man. When she did, Sakura was rewarded with a delightful surprise. There in a glass enclosed case was the infamous nutcracker along with an assortment of other types of wooden toys. Investigating the nutcracker was the key to her return. This gave her an excuse to escape from the incorrigible Lawrence! Yes!

With an unexpected burst of strength, Sakura ripped herself out of Lawrence's hold. Lawrence looked dumfounded.

"Clara what on earth are you doing? The dance isn't even halfway through yet" Lawrence exclaimed. A coy smile made its way onto Sakura's face. Her voice was saturated with false sweetness and sincerity.

"Oh, but you see, I have to go see this nutcracker over there. It is simply fascinating!" Lawrence looked flabbergasted and appalled.

"You would choose that silly nutcracker, over a strapping young man like me?" Lawrence asked as though it was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. An evil knowing smirk spread wide across her features.

"Sad, isn't it." Without another word, she left the dumbstruck man standing alone. She had other more important matters to attend to. Besides, she felt the familiar tugging of the locket and somehow knew that this was right.

The tall wooden toy cabinet stood alone in the room, content to protect its treasures. Falling into the same mesmerizing trance, Sakura stepped softly up to the case, letting her hand rest gently on the glass. There on the middle row, in the very center was the beloved and sought after nutcracker. The glass suddenly seemed like it was a prison for the nutcracker and Sakura wanted nothing more than to free him from it. Even in this time, the nutcracker still held that intricate perfection that most toys lacked. The secret in his obsidian eyes was also there.

"Nutcracker…" Sakura whispered her breath hardly audible. Was it really true that he was actually some kind of an enchanted prince? The more Sakura thought about it, the more it became a plausible explanation. She was here in the eighteenth century after all. If so, then what was it that she could do to set him free? She didn't have the slightest clue where the prince's heart was. And even if she did find it, how was she supposed to give it to him?

"Oh Nutcracker, what can I do to help you?" Her hand reached tantalizingly slow towards the knob that kept that opened the glass doors. But just as she was about to unlock the case and free the precious nutcracker, she heard the one name that could set her free from this nightmare herself.

"Oh Uncle Drosselmier, it's so good to see you!" someone exclaimed far off behind her. Sakura's eyes widened. Drosselmier was here. Swiftly, she turned around and began to scan the room quickly for any signs of the old man, the poor nutcracker forgotten.

In the opposite corner of the room, Drosselmier handed out toys to the many children that had crowded around him. Children or not, nothing would keep her from getting to him. She was going to have a few words with the conniving trickster…_now._ Without the slightest bit of intimidation, Sakura marched all the way across the room without giving anyone around her even so much as a second look.

When she was about ten feet away, Drosselmier looked up from his gift giving to lock gazes with the fiery young maiden.

"Oh, miss Clara, what a pleasure it is for you to grace us with your presence this night," Drosselmier exclaimed light heartedly, but Sakura saw straight through the deception and focused on the underlying taunt. She was _not_ in the mood and would not tolerate another second of it.

"Cut the crap Drosselmier. We're going to talk _now._" Sakura growled out. The small children looked appalled and stared at the Clara imposter horrified before scattering away to tell whoever would listen.

"Such language for a young lady." Drosselmier's eyes danced with mirth and amusement. Sakura scoffed before narrowing her eyes at him.

"Well it's a good thing I'm not one now isn't it." Her sarcastic tone was scathing but Drosselmier took it all in stride. His sly smile stood unwavering.

"My dear you shouldn't say such things, people would begin to think that ye are not of sound mind." Sakura's eyes flashed in righteous anger.

"I think I have a right to be crazy when I'm the one being transported back to the eighteenth century all because you want me to break some curse on some nutcracker." Her voice rose with every syllable causing the bystanders to stare at her in confusion. Something was obviously wrong with Clara. Unaware of the upcoming danger, Sakura continued on her furious tirade.

"Now you are going to take me back to the future this instant or I swear you are going to learn a new meaning of pain." Sakura growled out sticking her finger right in Drosselmier's face. Suddenly, however, she felt large burlesque arms wrap themselves around her waist and yank her forcefully away from Drosselmier. Startled, Sakura

squirmed in the man's arms.

"Hey, let me go!" she shrieked in indignation. No such luck. To her right, Sakura heard a foreign feminine voice sound.

"I'm so sorry! Clara must be suffering from her fever again. I'll just have her taken to her room." They thought she was crazy! No! She wasn't!

"I'm not feverish and I'm not Clara! Now let me go! Drosselmier tell them! Tell them I'm not Clara!" Sakura screamed as she was hauled away kicking and screaming. But Drosselmier merely smiled not uttering a single word, although his eyes were positively gleaming in amusement. Needless to say, it had been quite an interesting party.

Thirty minutes later found Sakura sulking miserably on the floor of her supposed bedroom. They had locked her in. She was trapped and alone. New all time lows had been reached. Hopelessness covered her like a magnetic cloud. She was lost and had no means of returning to her own time.

She wanted to hate that nutcracker. He had brought her nothing but pain and strife. But for some frustrating and indefinable reason she simply couldn't. Okay, so rationally he hadn't technically done anything. It was that infuriating Drosselmier. He had managed to ruin her entire life in less than a few hours. That had to be some sort of world record. She was sure of it. Unconsciously, her fists clenched and her nails dug into the skin of her palms.

She was sick of other people always walking all over her, and her being too non confrontational to say anything to defend herself. Well, that Sakura was gone now. She was going to stand up for herself, here and now. It didn't matter if she wasn't strong enough. She would find a way, starting with escaping from this substandard prison. Taking out all of the constricting pins from her hair, Sakura made her way over to the door. Silently, she knelt in front of the door and took one of her pins and slipped it into the keyhole. A few adjustments later found the door's lock clicking open. _Bingo!_ She mentally cheered. _And they say television doesn't teach you anything…But first…_ With the door still closed tightly, Sakura slipped out of the annoyingly itchy dress leaving her only in a skimpy silk spaghetti strap slip reaching down to mid-thigh.

"Well, it's not like anyone's still here anyways, besides it's not like I'm going to be staying here all that long. All I have to do is find Drosselmier and bribe him into taking me back, and I have the perfect plan." Sakura muttered darkly to herself as she turned the golden door handle.

Sure enough, all of the previous guests had vacated the premises. With the stealth of a ninja Sakura tiptoed down the hallway and descended the stairs picking up only a single candle to light her way through the darkness of the night.

To her supreme luck, she found that the ballroom door was still left ajar, making it possible for her to slip into the room without a sound. With a steady heart, Sakura snuck into the room, keeping a hawk's eye out for any sign of another presence. It would not be beneficial if she was caught in her little mission. Not when she was so close.

She could almost see _him _now. _He,_ the ever precious prince was waiting for her in his glass case. She could almost feel it. Strange, why would he be waiting for her? Sakura hastily shook the thoughts away. He was just a nutcracker, and right now she had to be ruthless with Drosselmier if she ever wanted to get back to her own home. She had to keep focused on her goal. She could not let her heart of ice be melted if she was to achieve her goal.

She was about three steps away from the toy cabinet when the infamous old hoarse voice was heard behind her. She could almost hear the eerie music of the Dance of the Sugar Plum fairy softly accompanying him.

"Isn't it a little late for one such as you to still be awake at such an hour." Sakura quickly glanced over to see that the old magician was leaning against the equally ancient grandfather clock. The face read that it was only about another minute before midnight. Now why was this familiar? It was at midnight in her world when she had been transported to this God forsaken place. Sakura glared back blatantly defiant.

"I don't think that's something for you to decide." Drosselmier smirked. Such a feisty one this lass was. She'd be good for _him._ Speaking of which…

"You want the nutcracker." His statement was both accusing and yet at the same time held a slight amusement. Sakura tried to hide her shock. So he knew…It would make no difference in the end. Sakura tried to make a break for the toy cabinet, but found to her horror that she couldn't move an inch of her body. She glared daggers at the enchanted old man. He smirked knowingly.

"I'm sorry my dear but using the nutcracker against me is useless. Besides, there are important issues that need to be discussed." Drosselmier's tone was stern and held no room for argument. He eyed her challenging her to rebuke him, but not a word came from her startled lips. This man truly had magical powers and she was currently treading on dangerous ground. When he saw that she was not going to argue, Drosselmier nodded.

"Alright then, on to business. As you can see quite clearly my dear, you have been selected to be the chosen one who can return to him the prince's heart. It is a duty only you can perform. The life of the prince depends on you. Oh and one more thing. That locket which you wear around your neck; you must never take it off because it is the only link that you have to the prince's world. If you do, you will instantly be transported back to your own time at the consequence of the prince. Please do not fail him. You are his only hope. He as well as I will be counting on you. Good luck my dear. Oh, and one last thing…"

With a snap of his fingers, Drosselmier disappeared and in his place was a stand. On that wooden stand was one of the most magnificent sights that Sakura had ever seen. It was a castle. Its intricacies rivaled only that of the nutcracker. The architecture of the miniature royal haven was exotically exquisite. Sakura could even see from where she was that Drosselmier had installed little rooms into the castle as well. But wait, what did that have to do with her? What did a castle have relation to anything.

Suddenly, her thoughts were ripped away by the dull thrum of the ancient grandfather clock. It was striking midnight once more.

"Remember, once you take that necklace off, the magic of Christmas will immediately cease, so make wise decisions and please…above all else please find a way to save the prince…" When Sakura turned around to question the mysterious mage, she found that he had vanished. It was then that she discovered that she could resume moving her body. Twirling around, she found not a single trace of the old man.

Sakura felt her heart begin to race. An overwhelming sense of fear encased her. She absolutely knew that something _bad_ was about to happen. It just was imminent if Drosselmier had left. No…now she was all alone with no one to save her except herself. Well, she wasn't going to go down that easily. She just wished she knew what she was up against. She had to know if she even had a fighting chance.

Then the impossible happened.

Suddenly, everything around her started to move. The closer she looked; she discovered in shocked fascination that all of the furniture around her was growing to an exponential size. With each echoing gong of the increasingly louder grandfather clock, the smaller she felt at the growing sky scrapers that was once furniture. Every thing seemed to be enveloping her.

After another set of seconds, Sakura realized a frightening truth when all of the growing had ceased. _Nothing_ had grown at all. It was _she who had shrunk. _A petrified and trembling hand found its way to her mouth. She had _shrunk…_ Her world had officially spun out of any kind of reasonable control. Now how was she supposed to help this prince? How could she when she was about six inches tall?! She had had enough. Prince or not, she was going home.

However, other plans had been mapped out for this involuntary heroine. From out of the Christmas tree a loud rustling noise was heard. Sakura turned to the Christmas tree which was about fifty feet away now, only to see the largest set of beady red eyes glaring back at her.

Sakura's blood ran cold as she was unable to look away from those murderous orbs. All thoughts of taking off the necklace vanished. She couldn't take it off now, not knowing how long it would take for her transportation to take place when this unknown monster was growling at her with contemptuous intent. Panicking, Sakura looked around only to find that countless pairs of those crimson eyes were watching her like a hawk or how a predator stalks its prey.

Tears of fear and despair ran down her face in small rivers as a gigantic black rat about a story taller and wider than she was emerged slowly from out of the tree. She was going to die. She was going to be massacred by this beast. Never in her entire life had she seen anything more horrid. She could see that it had dirty razor sharp claws and jagged yellow fangs.

Trying to evade the inevitable Sakura backed away, when the rat continued to advance. It was only a matter or time now. He would slash at her and her life's essence would spill all over the floor. Finally, she stopped. Her body was paralyzed with fear and she couldn't move an inch.

The giant rat leaned over her, his rotten breath blowing in her face as it bared its fangs. The rat seemed to relish the scent of her terror. But as all good things come to an end, so did the rat's bloodlust take him over. Rearing back, the rat raised its claws to strike the young woman down in one final and single blow.

Out of instinct, Sakura fell to her knees and tried her best to feebly cover herself with her arms preparing herself for the last moments of her life. Everything from there went in slow motion for the young girl. As her eyes closed, she distinctly heard the sound of metal clashing. _But why…_she thought dumbly. Why wasn't she dead? Shouldn't the rat have struck her by now? Cautiously, she opened one of her tightly shut lids only to gasp in astonishment. Unconsciously, the other eye followed suit, and Sakura was caught then in a trance that she would never awaken from.

There in front of her, was a vision. It had to be. No one such as _he_ could possibly exist. _He_ was like some fallen guardian angel that was now defending her from the ravenous beast that sought to take her life. _ He_ was something out of a fairytale. _He_ was the reason why her life had been torn at the seams. _He _was the reason behind everything. The precious thing that needed to be rescued. And now, Bella completely saw why. There in front of her, was the man who had just sliced the giant rat's eye with his sword. It was _him. It was…the prince. _

_He _was everything a prince should be. He was tall and lean standing proudly in his red uniform. _He was gorgeous. He _was unlike anyone she had ever seen. Spiky black locks defied gravity. It shone in a false moonlight and Bella thought that he was truly ethereal looking without even seeing his face yet.

Sakura could distinctly remember when her breathing hitched. Icy onyx met stunned green, and Sakura knew at once that this angel, this vision, was indeed…the nutcracker prince.


	5. Chapter 5

_Part Five _

_I will need **5 reviews to update!**_

It was _him. _This was the nutcracker prince. This was the man who had lost his love and his heart all in one day. This was the man she was supposed to save. Locking gazes with his electric onyx colored eyes; in her heart Sakura vowed that she would do whatever she could in order to help him.

But there was something odd about him. Sakura couldn't quite place her finger on it. The eyes that once held that mysterious secret were now devoid of any signs of life. His whole face was lacking any kind of emotion. What was wrong with him?

Because his attention was focused on her, the nutcracker prince did not see when the rat had quickly retaliated sending the prince flying to the left with its thick hairless tail.

"Nutcracker!" Sakura screamed in horror when she saw that he wasn't getting up. The rat had found a new target and so Sakura was forgotten for the moment. Crawling past her dripping blood from its oozing eye the rat stalked after the prince intent on ripping the poor young prince apart.

Sakura was near hysterics. Her breathing came in shallow pants. If she didn't act fast, then the nutcracker prince would surely die. _No!_ Her heart screamed out. She couldn't let him die. She had to save him somehow.

Behind her, a trumpet blared, and Sakura was shocked to see that all of the toy soldiers had come to life and looked perfectly human just as the prince had. The tiny valiant soldiers were now waging war with the other hideous rats that had emerged from the shadows.

But Sakura could care less about the miniature battles that raged on all around her. It was like she had blinders strapped on to the sides of her petite head. Her beautiful prince was about to be killed right before her jade hued eyes. No! She couldn't let that happen. She had to do something to protect him! But how could she? All she had on her person right now was her skimpy night dress and her slippers. Slippers! It certainly wasn't exactly a machine gun but it was a projectile none the less.

Just as it seemed that the monstrous rat was going to shred the prince with his jaws Sakura charged chucking her slipper directly at the rat's vulnerable skull. Thank goodness her aim was on target Sakura thought relieved as the shoe mercilessly made contact with a large thud.

The look of rage on the rat could melt a man into his shoes. However, Sakura stood her ground defiantly albeit though she was visibly shaking with suppressed fear.

"Hey! I'm the one you want, not him! Now come on you coward! Face me!" Her voice shook with each word bit Sakura was determined to protect the prince with her life if need be. Her jeering taunts were rewarded as the rat moved away from the defenseless prince and stalked toward her with renewed fervor. Its growling and hissing made Sakura want to run for all she was worth but her legs had suddenly gone numb and so the only motion she could achieve was to fall on her back.

Tears streamed down her face as she could now see her imminent doom. Who was going to save her now if the prince couldn't? So much for a prince being a hero. He couldn't save his princess back then and he couldn't save her now.

But those doubts were shattered when out of the blue she could see the blade of a sword sticking out of the bloody chest of the impaled rat. Blood ran out of the jaws of the dying rat like bubbling syrup and it was all Sakura could do not to wretch.

With a hard twist, the sword was ripped out and the rat fell to the ground instantly struck dead. Apparently, the sword had been lodged directly in the heart of the gruesome beast.

"You will not touch her." The deep smooth baritone voice of the prince was icy cold and devoid of any kind of emotion. If it wasn't for the fact that her life had been seconds from ending then Sakura would have blushed hard from how incredibly sexy he sounded. _Whoa…_was the resounding thought in her head.

But there was no time to daydream not when said prince was now kneeling in front of her.

"Are you alright?" His voice and facial expression were blank. Sakura couldn't help but contemplate the reason why this was. Was it even humanly possible to be this cold?

"Y…yeah," her affirmation clearly pointed out the obvious negative. A deep blush colored her cheeks and Sakura cursed herself for not being able to conceal it. He would totally know that she was checking him out! No! He couldn't know that! He would think she was some kind of pathetic fan girl who had not even the semblance of a life. With those piercing ebony eyes of his he would be able to see right through her and see her for the truly unworthy being that she was.

Leaning down, he leant an outstretched hand to her. Sakura gulped as her hand trembled on its path toward his invited one. Upon contact with his strong and calloused hand, Sakura could swear that she felt a spark of electricity pass between them. Hesitantly she locked gazes with him once again. A gasp of air was exhaled from her lungs as he gently pulled her to her feet. Sakura was so startled that she felt her knees go weak and she stumbled awkwardly into his awaiting arms. Her face came in contact with his firm chest and she felt her cheeks flare.

_He's so tall._ Sakura thought absently. But all coherent thoughts were effectively washed away when she felt his strong arms wrap around her waist gently. _What is he doing?!_ His warm breath was now caressing her neck in a soothing pattern of inhaling and exhaling. However, the inverse effect occurred for Sakura. She was hypersensitive to his touch, aware of everywhere that his body pressed against hers. She had never been in such close contact with a male before and it was exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. The next whispered words from his lips made her tense all the more.

"Thank you…" Sakura felt her sharp intake of breath. Slowly, the prince moved back so that he could look at her once more. Surprisingly, he found that her eyes shone with unadulterated confusion. She couldn't seem to grasp that she had just managed to courageously save his life from his tragic and seemingly endless tormented fate.

But then again, how could she? He supposed he would have to educate her since the answers were obviously not surfacing.

"You saved my life." His answer was blunt and short with no other explanation leaving poor Sakura almost as puzzled as she was previously.

"What?" the question was out of her mouth before she could mentally stop herself. It seemed inevitable to Sakura that she was destined to make herself out to be a complete idiot in front of this breath taking male in front of her. For a moment, the young ethereal looking man stared at her with an unreadable stoic look but then sighed relenting to give her the answer she sought.

"When you threw your shoe at the rat prince, you saved my life, and for that I am very grateful." He stepped away and gave her a stiff bow resembling that out his wooden counterpart. Sakura blushed and looked away flustered shaking her head in disagreement.

"No, what I did was nothing; you could have probably beaten him easily.

"No, I would have died." His sharp rebuke was enough to startle Sakura. He said it unapologetically like it was the most common of facts. The young woman felt a sinking feeling in her chest at the uneasy feeling of knowledge that was probably too tragic to comprehend.

"How, how could you know such a thing?" Her voice was pleading with him to tell her that what she already knew in her heart was truth, was really just a terrible lie. She locked gazes with him once more, and she found herself sick at the knowing gleam in his eyes.

Onyx orbs turned away to gaze at the skyscraper of a Christmas tree in a daze that told her he was reliving some kind of painful memory though his face remained blank. His tone was unwavering and smooth despite the horrifying words that seeped from his perfect lips.

"Because, up until this night, every girl that is transported here escapes through the magic of the necklace and every time, my body is ripped apart. My fate was always the same, the rat would always tear me apart with his claws and only the magic of this night would save me from total devastation."

When the prince returned his gaze to Sakyra, he found that her cheeks glistened with the steady river of tears that spilled from her eyes. His eyebrow quirked in curiosity as he stepped closer to her. Her chest heaved in poorly suppressed sobs and her whole body shook with the force of it all.

"Why do you cry for me?" he asked as he used his thumb to wipe away the tears that were staining her cheeks. He could not comprehend why this petite woman shed tears for him. He had never met anyone like her in his centuries of life. He could not grasp why someone would be so emotionally attached to a stranger.

Sakura hiccupped trying to get a hold of her out of control emotions. If she kept this up, she was going to hyperventilate.

"B…Because y…you've had to suffer for so long. They…they all left you. How could they? How could they let something so terrible happen to you? I…it's not fair, you never asked for any of this!"

Sakura succumbed to another fit of sobs. How much pain did he have to bear all of these centuries? How many times had his body been ravaged by that abomination? But more importantly, how could those girls let him die like that? Were they heartless? How could they leave him to a fate like that? It was inhumane and sick. And to think, she had been close to doing the exact same thing. Sakura felt disgusted with herself.

_No, I'm not like them. I'm going to help him no matter what it takes!_ She thought in resolution. She would help this fairytale prince and try not to lose her heart to him in the process.

"What are you feeling right now?" The absurd question ripped her from her valiant thought process. What kind of question was that?

"What are you talking about?" The prince simply sighed and looked at her as if he was going to tell her something, but when the explanation never came, Sakura was left in a quandary.

"Please, just…could you tell me how it felt when you were crying? Tell me what it feels like when you cry." His plea was simple and all the while retained his steady tone his request sounding more like a bland statement. Sakura's eyebrows furrowed. Why was he asking her this?

"Why, I mean doesn't it feel the same way when you're sad?" The prince's countenance remained impassive as he delivered the unbelievable news that was uttered next.

"Probably, but you see I fear that I have forgotten what it feels like to be sad. In fact, it has been many centuries since I have felt anything at all." Sakura's eyes widened in shock.

"But how can that be?" The prince looked her square in the eye.

"It's quite simple really. All those years ago I lost my heart and I fear that I have lost all semblances of it as well."

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